An independent report says the University of Missouri failed to follow parts of the federal law that governs sexual harassment when handling the case of a former swimmer's suicide.

The report released Friday says the Columbia campus should have investigated 20-year-old Sasha Menu Courey's 2011 death after her parents raised questions about the events leading to her suicide.

Menu Courey alleged she was sexually assaulted by as many as three football players 16 months before she died.

The school previously said it didn't act sooner under the Title IX law because neither Menu Courey nor her parents sought a police investigation and didn't respond to a later request for information. The case has been referred to Columbia police.

The external report was prepared by the Dowd Bennett law firm.

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